(SEPTEMBER 2 TO 27, 2019)
ITINERARY
Shanghai
Beijing
Pingyao
Xi’an
Chongquin
Les trois Gorges (Croisière sur le Fleuve Zangtzé)
(Shibaozhai – Fengjie – Shennong – Maoping)
Yichang
Fenghuang (via Jishou)
Guilin
Terrasses de Longji (Village de Ping’an via Heping)
Croisière sur la Rivière Li
(Yangdi – Nine Horses Hill – Xingping Town – Yangshuo)
Photos of China (Click on the image below, then on the arrow on the right)
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2019
SEPT-ILES – QUEBEC CITY – MONTREAL
After a year of preparations and a wonderful summer spent at our cottage and in Quebec City in the company of the people we love, the big start for our ambitious WORLD TOUR project has arrived. The last four days have been very busy. Our list of things to do before leaving Canada kept getting longer: finalizing our suitcases, closing our internet and cellular accounts, renewing our expired ATM, health insurance and driver’s licenses, contacting our insurance for our vehicles and two properties, buying our medicines for the next ten months, wintering our cottage and trailers, etc. Phew! So many things to do!
It was with a mixture of excitement and melancholy that we left Seven Islands. Leaving everything behind (family, friends, professional work, leisure, home and cottage) requires a let-down. Living with only a small suitcase (for me) and a backpack (for Claude) already brings us back to the essentials: to listen to others and be open to the environment around us. So, our journey starts here, in this little Dash 8 taking us to Quebec City and then Montreal. Our eldest son Samuel and his wife Kim picked us up at the airport. We spent our last evening on Quebec soil together, at our youngest son Vincent’s, over a good pizza and an excellent beer plate pie cooked by our daughter-in-law Kim.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
MONTREAL – SHANGHAI
After a good night’s sleep, we had a good breakfast with Vincent. He then drove us to the airport. At the time of the farewell, my eyes were drowned with tears; I realized that I would be several months away from Vincent and all our loved ones. A few minutes before boarding for our flight, my parents called me on my cell phone. Once again, I was emotional; I smothered a sob and my eyes filled with tears. I was really happy to be able to talk to them one last time before flying to other heavens.
We boarded a luxury Boeing DREAMLINER, and at 1 p.m., our aircraft took off for a flight lasting 14 hours and 15 minutes. Here are some details about our flight: distance of 11,416 km, altitude of 10,363 m, speed of 827 km/h and outside temperature of -55 degrees C.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
SHANGHAI (Temperature: 25 degrees C, cloudy)
Population: 23 million
We arrived at 3pm in Shanghai local time. For us, it was 3:00 in the morning. By the time we went through customs, picked up our luggage, bought a SIM card for my cell phone and found a taxi with a meter, it was at 4:30 a.m. We arrived at the Bufan Youth Hostel on Chuansha Road in the Pudong district at 5am. When we got off the taxi, we looked around on this busy thoroughfare full of small shops and were looking to spot our hostel through all the posters only in Chinese. We showed the address to a shopkeeper and she kindly pointed the finger at the small entrance to our hostel. The place immediately pleased us: friendly receptionist including English, clean room, cute on two floors, very lit and overlooking the busy artery. We took the time to settle down and went to eat a semblance of taco (20 yuan or $4 CAD for two) in a small snack. We strolled along the main thoroughfare and on a few perpendicular streets where colourful night markets take place. At 8 p.m. (8 a.m. Quebec time), we wisely returned to the hostel to go to bed for a good night’s sleep.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
SHANGHAI (28 degrees, sun and clouds)
Our night was punctuated by waking up periods due to jet lag. Our day started very early. Claude went in search of a coffee. As we are in Pudong, an un touristy area far from the city centre, he returned with a breakfast from McDonald’s, located around the corner from our hostel. Hungry, we devoured our Mc muffin. I then wasted almost an hour with the unilingual night receptionist trying to get the information on the subway and the Shanghai City Bus Tour. The language barrier made our exchange very laborious despite our Google translator in hand. It was thanks to the three people who went through the reception that I ended up getting a minimum of information so that we could start our day of exploration.
We found the metro station a few blocks from our hostel on Chuansha Road. We were helped to buy our tickets from a vending machine. (You have to select the language (English), select the station you want to go to and the number of tickets you want. The cost is determined by the distance to be covered. Then you insert your yen.) It’s a good thing that the indications on the subway are in both languages because otherwise it would be awfully difficult to find your way around. After 45 minutes by subway, we arrived at People’s Square. We quickly found the kiosk to buy our tickets for the City Tour by double-decker bus with audio information. For 300 yuan each (CAD$60), the tour includes three bus tours and an hour-long cruise on the Huangpu River aboard a luxury yacht. We started with the red circuit: People’s Square with its Grand Theatre and museums, Nanjing Road pedestrian street and the Bund, historic colonial district and the historic waterfront). We then transferred buses to make the blue line leading us to the other side of the river, taking the elevated highway making a large loop before crossing the long bridge. The view of the skyscrapers from this point of view is very impressive. We made a stop at the Pearl Tower of the East, a must-see icon of the city. This high rocket-shaped concrete tower is simply beautiful with its three sparkling pink balls. Wow! What a marvel of architecture! We took a bite to eat at the large eight-story shopping mall next to the tower and then took the shuttle to the boarding dock for our Huangpu River cruise. How nice it was to be on the water and to be able to admire the city in all its glory aboard this luxury yacht! The shuttle brought us back to the Pearl of the East. We continued our guided tour of the city by bus, continuing the blue circuit taking us back to the other side of the river. We then made a bus transfer to finish the red circuit, passing through the Yu Garden, old Shanghai and Xin Tian Di with its traditional houses and chic shops. Back at People’s Square, coffee in hand, we undertook the last circuit in the rain through the Shanghai Museum, Huai Hai Road (one of the most popular shopping streets), the famous traditional Jing’An Temple, the Shanghai Exhibition Center, the Jade Buddha Temple, Nanjing Road West (a street renowned for its shops and restaurants), before returning to our starting point. From People’s Square, we took the subway, Line 2, to join Simon Desmarais, a septilian friend of our son Samuel, and his Chinese boyfriend Long at Century Avenue subway station. We went to dinner together at the good Chinese restaurant Hong Lajiao. We ordered several dishes (rice, youzha surou or breaded pork, xiangsu feiya or duck, qiezhi doufu or breaded tofu sticks, tieban niuliu or beef in sauce, jello-textured bingfen, majiang youmai cai or rolled lettuce leaves with sesame sauce, quinjiao tudousi or juliennes of potato) that we shared in a friendly atmosphere. What a pleasure for the palace and how nice it was to meet Simon and his boyfriend here in Shanghai! We returned by subway, tired but delighted by this first day of our World Tour.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6
SHANGHAI (27 degrees C, cloudy with transient showers)
Today we decided to enjoy the surroundings of our hostel. We started with a breakfast at our room followed by a writing period for me while Claude went for a walk in the rain. I tested the WhatsApp app successfully; I managed to reach three of my brothers and sisters (Denis, Sylvie and Marie-Christine) for free by cell phone. It was funny talking to them live from Shanghai.
I went for a walk with Claude. We went to a travel agency to book our cruise on the Yangtze River but the attendant could not meet our request. We then headed to the old quarter of the city. We were enchanted by its narrow picturesque streets to traditional houses and small local shops. We had a delicious dinner at the small Nora Deer restaurant (Japanese and Chinese fusion cuisine) on Xinchuan Road. We crossed a few bridges overlooking the canals. A few Buddhist temples and a magnificent pagoda of extravagant dimensions have revealed themselves to us to our delight. We also strolled through Chuansha Park, a relaxing place with a Zen atmosphere, similar to the Japanese parks we visited with Samuel during our visit to Japan in 2014. Back on Chuansha Street, we found an ATM and found that withdrawing money is simple to do, which is good for us.
We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in our room, sheltered from the rain, absorbed by various tasks on our electronic devices. In the early evening, we went for a walk in the night markets and ate a big bowl of soup for two. Claude learned that « peppers » does not mean « pepper » but « strong peppers »! Phew, how spicy the soup was!
We stopped in a park, attracted by a group of women dancing gracefully to slow Chinese music. Next door, under a marquee, mixed couples or two-woman couples were doing social dance to catchy Chinese music. We sat down for a moment, enjoying the various figures eerily similar to North American social dance figures. I felt privileged to be able to attend such a show spontaneously. Claude stood back a little and a tall and slender Chinese about my age invited me to dance. I gladly accepted his invitation. The first music was two-stroke, relatively slow and easy to follow. The second music was three-stroke. On the waltz steps, the man made me twirl at a crazy speed throughout the piece. Stunned to turn so much like a top, I firmly clung to it so as not to lose my footing. When the music finally stopped, I thanked my partner and, with a staggering step, I went to meet Claude. I loved my experience despite it being very intense. I even forgot about my heel pain. (I have been suffering from plantar fasciitis for over a year.) I would have stayed longer watching all these couples dance, but Claude was ready to continue our walk.
On my way back to the hostel, I took the opportunity to do our washing (4 yuan for a load of laundry) on the roof of our building. I went to bed tired, suddenly feeling all the fatigue of the last few days.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
SHANGHAI (31 degrees C, sunny)
We started our day at 4:30 a.m., still feeling the effects of jet lag. Around 9:00 a.m., we went to take the subway to the Yù Garden. We loved the area where it is located. Huge and beautiful buildings with traditional Chinese architecture are home to shops and restaurants. To reach the garden, we had to cross the bazaar filled with trinkets all more colorful than the other. The Yù Garden, dating from 1559 and renowned as one of the most beautiful sites in Shanghai, enchanted us with its shady nooks, ponds teeming with carp, pavilions and pine trees planted in the rockery.
We took over the subway but this time to the Jing’An Temple. This Buddhist temple is one of the most amazing in the city; it enjoys a spectacular location, in the middle of the skyscrapers of the neighborhood. We went around the different pavilions competing for beauty inside; the altars are filled with offerings and behind them are huge statues of Buddha or other deities.
A third subway trip took us to the Jade Buddha Temple. This temple, built between 1918 and 1928, is one of the few active Buddhist shrines in Shanghai. We saw several monks eating in small rooms on the first floor of one of the pavilions. We sat in the shade for a while to get some energy back. In front of us, you could see a beautiful statue of Buddha in an elongated position. The site includes, in addition to the pavilions and their deities, a vegetarian restaurant, a tea house and a Chinese writing workshop.
We gave up our idea of going for a walk on Nanjing East Road, dining in the Bund (colonial quarter) and admiring the lights on the city in the dark of the night. Completely in the woods to have walked so much, we took the subway back to the hostel. As we left the subway station, we returned to a cafeteria-style restaurant. Everything was written in Chinese and no images appeared on the walls or menu. As we had to order in Chinese at the checkout and present our coupon to be served, we had to resign ourselves to turning around. It was a pretty frustrating situation! A little further on, we found a mini restaurant with food displayed on the wall. I got caught; I thought I ordered a hot dish but it’s a cold noodle salad with julienned vegetables that I was served! This put did not pack me and my hunger quickly subsided. Back at the hotel, I took a nice cool shower and put on my pajamas, determined to finish the evening quiet in my room.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
SHANGHAI – BEIGING (PEKIN, the capital)
Beiging population: 20 million
We packed our bags and went for a walk in Chuansha Park where we met several small groups of people doing their morning exercises. We then picked up our suitcases, bid farewell to the innkeeper and made an hour’s subway ride to the Shanghai Railway Station where Simon and Long were waiting for us. They kindly helped us get all our train tickets to China using our confirmation numbers. (I had made all our reservations two months in advance on the internet.) Very attentive, they handed us a bag of typical Chinese provisions for our dinner on the train: ramen soup, sausage, festival cake and iced tea. Long wanted to accompany us to our boarding gate. As the station is huge and this was our first train experience in this country, we enjoyed the help of Simon and Long while taking the opportunity to see them again one last time.
Our TGV, clean and luxurious like all TGVs in China, got started at noon. The journey, which lasted 4 hours and forty minutes, passed quickly. We have passed through several major cities including an incredible number of high residential towers wrapped in pollution. Our poor planet! The flat relief gradually gave way to mountains. We have also seen nuclear power plants, two huge wind and solar farms and farmland. What a joy to see the countryside after our stay in the megalopolis!
When we arrived in Beijing, we had to queue to catch a taxi. How long the line was; There must have been a thousand people! We waited 45 minutes before it was our turn. We had a good time with our neighbor, a Chinese man who spoke good English, which made the waiting time less difficult. We finally took a taxi to the BESTAY EXPRESS HOTEL (31 yen for a 15-minute ride) located next to the Temple of Heaven near the city center. Our room is small but clean. Fortunately, we have air conditioning because outside, it’s a real oven: 37 degrees C! After dropping off our luggage at our room, we left looking for a restaurant for dinner. On our street, we found several. Our choice stopped on the QLAO SHU NIANG. Both of our dishes were delicious. As the portions are generous, next time we will have a dish for two. At the exit of the restaurant, we pushed our exploration to the main boulevard before turning around to return to the hotel. At the reception, I booked a guided tour to the Great Wall of China with the unilingual receptionist with her electronic translator. When I got to our room, Claude was already asleep.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
BEIJING (33 degrees C with a cloudy sky!)
Claude picked up some doughnuts on the street and we enjoyed them with a coffee in our room. Our morning was then difficult. We searched the laundry room in the vicinity but without success. The directions given by the receptionist at our hotel were very approximate and, on the street, we got no help as no Chinese understood English. Even with Google Translation, we went unanswered. Claude returned to the hotel empty-handed, his little bag of dirty laundry in his hand. How frustrating this kind of situation is!
We took the metro to Tiananmen Square. A policeman told us to line up to get access to the site. Under overwhelming heat and pollution that takes us to the throat, we waited nearly 45 minutes before going to the security check. We then took some pictures, realizing that we were on the side of the Forbidden City. On the other side of the boulevard, we could see the other part of Tiananmen Square, accessible by an underground corridor. We searched for the ticket office of the Forbidden City. As the site is huge, we tried to get help to find out where to go but no one understood English. Once again, we felt frustration with the language barrier. We lined up at a ticket office to finally be told that we were not in the right place and that the palace museum was closed on Mondays. damn! If we’d known, we’d have waited another day to come here.
Changing our itinerary for the day, we walked on the pleasant promenade between the fortifications and the canal that surround the City. At the first exit of the site, we took a taxi to the Temple of the Lamas. We went to break the crust in a small alley also called « hutong » before returning to the temple to visit. This Tibetan Buddhist temple has been very popular with its beautiful roofs, frescoes, decorative arches, tapestries, Tibetan prayer mills, tantric statues and Chinese lions. It is the most famous outside of Tibet. Former residence of Emperor Yong Zheng, it became a lamasery in 1744.
We could have gone to visit the Temple of Confucius located just across the street but instead opted for the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower. We went there by subway. As early as 1272, the Drum Tower, painted red, was the official clock of the city. Thus, the drums were rolled to mark the hours of the day. I climbed the steps of the steep internal staircase, which allowed me to admire the grey tile roofs of the neighboring hutong. In the background, you could see the skyscrapers unfortunately surrounded by pollution.
The Bell Tower is a more modest and grey building. Like the drums of the Drum Tower, the bells of the Bell Tower were used as Beijing’s official clock during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties and until 1924. The view of the Drum Tower from the balcony is worth a look.
We then went to the famous « hutong » Nanluogu Xiang. This trendy alley is lined with small bars, cybercafés, square-yard hotels and shops. Even today, nearly a thousand « hutong » crisscross the city of Beijing. These alleys form a huge and delightful labyrinth of one-storey houses and historic mansions with square courtyards.
We took back the subway, ate in a quiet little restaurant on our street and returned to relax in our room, exhausted by the many kilometers we had walked during the day.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
BEIJING (20 degrees, rainy)
Heavy rain fell overnight on the capital, lowering the outside temperature and pollution levels. We woke up early and as it was still raining, we took care of our room until about 9.30am. In a light rain, we then took the metro to the Forbidden City: take two! We had to line up like we did the day before. How people were there! Claude was able to get through security before me because he didn’t have a bag with him. For my part, I was compressed in a compact crowd for more than half an hour before I could join him. Once on the site, we bought our tickets ($12 CAD each), relieved to quickly go to the ticket office. (The majority of Chinese buy their tickets online.)
The visit to the Forbidden City delighted us. The site is vast and impressive. Here’s what we visited:
– Porte du Midi (a huge portal once reserved for the emperor)
– Huge courtyard with five marble bridges spanning the Golden Waters River (The courtyard could accommodate imperial hearings of 100,000 people.)
– Room of Literary Glory (Gallery of Painting with Magnificent Paintings)
– Martial Values Room (Ancient China Artifact Exhibition)
– Hall of Supreme Harmony (the largest and most extensive room of the imperial residence. Built in the 15th century, it was used for ceremonies such as the emperor’s birthday, the induction of military leaders and coronations. It contains the richly decorated Dragon Throne, where the emperor sat before his officials.)
– Middle Harmony Hall (emperor’s antechamber with exhibition of two Qing Dynasty carrier chairs)
– Room of Harmony reserved (originally reserved for banquets and, later, imperial examinations) with at the rear, an imperial marble path carved with dragons and clouds.
– Gate and Palace of Heavenly Purity (residence of the Ming Emperors and the first Qing rulers before becoming a courtroom for foreign envoys and high-ranking officials)
– Palace of Earthly Tranquility (the imperial couple’s bridal room and nerve center at the palace harem)
– Beautifully landscaped imperial garden with rockeries, alleys, pavilions and centuries-old cypress trees
Taking the eastern exit, we strolled and dined on the busy Nanchizi Dajie Street before taking the subway back to our neighborhood. We walked behind the large and chic Pearl Market shopping mall, took a coffee-latte break and returned to the hotel to relax. At supper time, Claude picked up our meal at a local restaurant. We ate and spent the evening at our room in order to relieve my left heel which makes me suffer and limp.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
Beijing
Today was a great day. Claude and I realized one of our dreams: to see the Great Wall of China. We participated in an organized tour. At 6:30 a.m., a shuttle bus picked us up from the hotel. We were eleven tourists on board: Ricardo from Venezuela, Victoria and Peter respectively from the Philippines and the Netherlands, a family from Scotland, a young Chinese couple, Claude and me. Our charming guide Richard, a Chinese, told us about different aspects of China during the long minutes we were caught in traffic.
We made a first stop at a jade and porcelain workshop. We saw the craftsmen at work as well as the beautiful finished products on sale at their shop.
Our second stop was at the Ming Tombs. The necropolis is about 50 kilometres north of Beijing in a bowl closed by the foothills of the magnificent Yanshan and Tian Shou mountains. Also known as the Thirteen Tombs, this historic site is one of the largest in the Beijing region. Thirteen Ming emperors rest here, including Xuande, Jiajing and Wanli. However, only three tombs are open to the public: Changling, Dingling and Zhaoling. We visited the tomb of Wanli, a veritable underground palace. It comprises 5 burial chambers located at a depth of 30 meters and which extends over 1200 square meters.
An excellent meal was waiting for us at our third stop. Sitting together around a round table, we had to use a beautiful diversity of dishes on the large turntable of the center of the table. During the meal, I spoke a lot with Ricardo, happy to practice my Spanish. I also took the opportunity to take note of Victoria and Peter’s contact information so that we could meet in Dumaguete in the Philippines in January.
We finally arrived at the Great Wall, our fourth stop. Some 300,000 workers worked on its construction over a length of 3,000 km. The site of Mùtianyu, located 90 km northeast of Beijing, is magical. Renowned for its watchtowers and superb views, this 3 km long section of wall is a structure that was built during the Ming Dynasty on an ancient northern Qi rampart. We boarded the cable car, impressed by the beauty of the place. The Great Wall overlooks beautiful hills and green peaks. As we left the landing, we continued the ascent of the last third on foot. Having only two hours for our visit to the wall, we were not able to get to the top, but we were very content; we took several photos and also took the time to appreciate the extraordinary scenery while letting ourselves soak up the Zen atmosphere emanating from the place. We went down on a cable car with Ricardo and took a « water break » before boarding the minibus.
Our fifth and final stop was halfway on our return. We were expected for a tea tasting in a tea house consisting of several rooms. A young employee explained the Chinese rituals associated with the tea ceremony and vented the health benefits of each tea.
Back in downtown Beijing, we found ourselves in the middle of rush hour in infuriating traffic. Ricardo, Claude and I abandoned the minibus and continued on our way by metro. What an efficient way to get around quickly! When we arrived at our station, Claude and I exchanged contact information with Ricardo and bid him farewell. We tried a new restaurant near our hotel and returned to rest, tired of our long day at the Great Wall but beautiful memories of this wonder of the world full of head.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
BEIJING- PINGYAO
We got up very early, stressed at the thought of getting caught in traffic and missing our train. At 6am, we were at the station. Our TGV left Beijing at 8am. The journey, which lasted 4 hours, passed quickly. Comfortably seated infirst class, we watched the scenery unfold at a cruising speed of 200 km/h. We stopped in seven or eight major cities, amazed at how much all these cities are developed. Each has hundreds of apartment towers and wide highways, which is very impressive.
Upon arrival in Pingyao, we took a taxi to our accommodation, the Pingyao Tai He Inn. The façade is only a two-door door. A small dark corridor leads to a pretty inner courtyard. Our little hotel is on thesecond floor. Our room is located on the side of Zhongdu Street, a major artery with infernal traffic during rush hour. We dropped off our luggage and went to explore the surrounding area. The northern entrance to the walled old town is a 15-minute walk from our hotel. To get there, we passed through the park that runs along the fortifications.
Pingyao is reputed to be the best-preserved fortified city in the country. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is the dream of imperial China, with beautiful traditional courtyards, ancient towers pointing north, centuries-old temples and other buildings of yesteryear. The city has escaped the reshaping dear to communist planners. Its 4000 or so Ming and Qing residences remain inside the ramparts.
We bought a ticket giving us access to the ramparts and 18 major historic buildings for a period of three days (150 yuan each). We had a nice dinner before visiting 4 very interesting historic buildings. Feeling the cold, we returned to the hotel. We put on warmer clothes before returning inside the ramparts in search of a restaurant for supper. Not having the taste to eat Chinese food, we opted for a chicken burger. Personally, I regretted my choice; their imitation of American fast food was failed.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
PINGYAO (22 degrees, light rain)
We slept pretty well despite our rock-hard mini pillow. We had lunch at our room with patties and coffee, did our washing with a semi-automatic machine and went for a walk in a light rain. We walked through the park along the ramparts, bought an umbrella and took money out of the ATM before climbing the ramparts at the North Gate. The view from the rooftops of the old town is nice. We walked about 2 km to get to the East Gate. We then descended inside the walls and continued the tour of the historic buildings begun the day before. We were charmed once again by the authenticity of the place.
We made a stop for dinner. On the menu: dish of scrambled eggs with spinach with rice. Once we were satisfied, we went to see the Temple of God, then the famous Temple of Confucius containing the oldest building in Pingyao. This is the Dacheng Pavilion, dating from 1163. At the time, future officials were taking imperial examinations in this temple. Then, GPS in hand, we finally found the impressive and magnificent Wall of nine dragons.
Tired of our six-hour walk, we had a little latte and set out on our way home. We made a stop at the grocery store. For 36 yen ($7 CAD), we bought: 8 bags of coffee, 12 rolls, a jar of peanut butter, 2 bananas, 4 clementines, 1 exotic fruit and 4 eggs. Grocery shopping here is definitely cheaper than in Canada!
We had dinner in a small restaurant near our hotel. We shared an excellent julienned pork dish served with rice, all topped with hot pepper. Throughout the evening, fireworks were on display throughout the city, joyfully celebrating the autumn festival. For my part, I had a computer problem, and I lost my writings of the day. Damn! My OneDrive is full, which caused me a series of problems. Panicked, I lay down on it and had a nightmare.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14
Pingyao
As continental breakfasts are not common in China, Claude had the idea of making boiled eggs in the kettle of our room. Unlucky: an electrical failure has occurred! We fell back on our peanut butter buns. When the electricity came back, we were able to finish our lunch with good eggs!
After partly settling my computer problem the day before, Claude and I took a taxi to the Shuanglin Temple located 7 km from the city center. This temple contains rare finely carved statues dating from the Song and painted statues dating from the Yuan. The interiors of the Shakyamuni Pavilion and adjacent buildings are particularly beautiful. The temple is surrounded by high ramparts that we have traversed, giving us another view of the site and its surroundings.
The same taxi driver then drove us to the West Gate of the Old Town. We discovered the west side of the city, just as interesting and lively as the east side. We ate a big bowl of soup on a street dedicated to food stalls. A little further on, we sat down and stayed for a while watching the crowd come and go in the street. We went out through the North Gate, ate a « Chinese-style Lebanese submarine » bought from a small street stand and returned early to the hotel to spend a quiet end to the day, away from the crowds, traffic and pollution.
Speaking of pollution, I thought Pingyao would be less polluted than Beijing. Well, I was wrong! From the train station, you can see the chimneys of the coal mining plants spewing their toxic smoke. The city is completely enveloped by an opaque cloud of pollution. The air is really stale. The surrounding mountains are apparently beautiful but unfortunately, you can’t see them for a few years because of the pollution. The man is running for his own loss. How confusing! Let us hope that governments will implement the necessary solutions.
We had dinner at a restaurant specializing in Chinese fondue. What an experience! We had to look around to understand how it works. Google Translation also gave us a hand to understand what the cashier wanted to tell us. We had to pay first (33 yuan or $6 each). Then you could use the buffet at will: black mushrooms, Chinese cabbage, meats (the quality of the cut of meat leaves something to be desired), a variety of pasta and « weirdness ». A large dish containing two broths was placed on the stove built into the center of our table. After a few bites, my tongue and lips were so hot that I had to stop cooking my food in the broths; how spicy they were! I fell back on the freshness of the ice cubes to remove the burning sensation I had in my mouth.
Upon our exit from the restaurant, we discovered a busy little street with food stalls and a little further, the main commercial street of the modern part of the city. What a different look compared to the ancient city of Pingyao! The bustling thoroughfare lined with upscale shops reminded us of Japan’s commercial districts with their oversized posters and multicolored neon lights.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
PINGYAO – XI’AN (Pop: 6.5 million)
We took a taxi to Pingyaostation, then a TGV to Xi’an. The journey took three hours. A French couple were sitting in the same row as us. Happy to be able to exchange with them in French, we chatted together about our travels. I also took the opportunity to do some work on my electronic devices.
During the trip, we were appalled at how polluted all the big cities are. It’s really depressing to see. Cultivated land is not spared; they are shrouded in smog. The sky is always grey and dreary. The beautiful mountainous landscapes have now lost all their luster; you can barely see the contours of the mountains.
Upon arrival in Xi’an, we took a taxi to our hotel, the Ancient City Xiaozhu Inn. When we got off the taxi, we were a little distraught because my cell phone battery was drained, and we didn’t have the address written in Chinese. Faced with all the signs written only in this language, we had no idea where our hotel was. A passer-by reading English eventually pointed us to the place. The hotel is on the second floor, small, quiet, clean and its owner very welcoming and helping. It is located in the ancient city surrounded by ramparts from the Ming era.
We went for a walk in the Muslim quarter where all kinds of merchants jostle in the maze of alleys. How there’s life! We nibbled on a pork taco before going in search of the famous Grand Mosque.
At the tourist office, we were told the way in approximate English. We had to cross a colorful bazaar stretching down a long alley before finally arriving at the mosque. This one is a superb mix of Chinese and Muslim styles. It is one of the largest mosques in the country. It was founded in the 8th century. The current buildings date from the Ming and Qing periods.
We then visited the Drum Tower and the Bell Tower. The latter originally contained a huge bell that was ringed at dawn, while the Drum Tower was used to mark the nightfall. Both built in the 14th century, they were rebuilt in the 18th century. From the top of the towers located on a roundabout in the heart of Xi’an, you can admire the city in all its splendor.
We got lost in the alleys of the Muslim quarter on our way back to the hotel. What a detour we made! Our GPS would have been very useful. The map we had in hand really lacked precision! (My cell phone was on its charge at our room.) Finally arrived at our accommodation, we spoke again with the owner in order to get more information for our exit the next day. We dined in a small restaurant at the end of our street and returned wisely to our room, satisfied with our first day in this beautiful and interesting city.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
XI’AN
Glad to be able to make us boiled eggs in the small kitchen of the hotel, we had a nasty surprise taking our first bite. Ugh! The owner informed us that we had purchased salted duck eggs. We put them aside. Our peanut butter has once again helped us with bread, banana and coffee.
We searched the Sajinqiao metro station, not too obvious to find. Our GPS was not enough; we had to be run at least three times. We took Line 1 of the metro to its final station: Fangzhicheng (metro time: 25 minutes). From there, we once again used help to find out where to catch the 307 bus. This bus took us directly to the terracotta Soldiers Army site (bus duration: more than an hour). This extraordinary and unique archaeological site is located east of Xi’an. It is part of UNESCO’s cultural heritage. These legions of buried, life-size soldiers watched in silence for more than two millennia over the eternal rest of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor who unified China. In 1974, peasants digging a well uncovered a huge underground concealing thousands of soldiers and horses in terracotta, in combat formation.
We visited the three pits with great interest. Number 1 is the largest and most impressive. Protected in a huge hangar, it is said to contain some 6,000 soldiers and horses, of which about 2,000 are presented. What an archaeological marvel!
We dined on the site (plate of sautéed vegetables with rice, $8 for two) then, we took the free shuttle service to get to the second site to visit with our ticket: The Tomb of Qin Shi Huang, located two km away. We walked for a long time in the long imperial alleys lined with giant cedars and pines before finally arriving at the mausoleum of the first emperor. We then turned around, tired from our long walking hours of the day and ready to start the road back by bus and then by subway.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
XI’AN
This morning, we made some good boiled eggs. This time they were really delicious! We took our time before going out as it was raining standing up drinking. Installed in the dinette, we « chatted » with the help of our translator with the owners. Curious, I asked them what they ate for breakfast: pumpkin, cotton thread, sweet potatoes and noodles.
We walked a few kilometers in heavy rain. (Despite using my umbrella, my sneakers quickly became soggy!) We went to the Museum of the Stele Forest, near the South Gate. Located in the temple of Confucius, this museum brings together more than 1,000 stone steles, engraved, among others, 9 major Confucian texts and magnificent calligraphy. The sculpture gallery is fabulous. It contains zoomorphic guardians of the Tang Dynasty, illustrated tombstones and Buddhist statues. We had a crush on the collections of this beautiful museum.
We had dinner in a small alley nearby. I pointed at a dish of sautéed vegetables on the wall and asked for a bowl of rice as an accompaniment. When my plate arrived, I found that it was rather a large bowl of noodles topped with a few small pieces of vegetables that I had ordered. So, I didn’t touch my rice! When you don’t have the language, you sometimes have surprises!
In the afternoon, we left the Ancient City to admire the huge South Gate and the high ramparts. We then crossed the Gate and wandered happily through the Muslim quarter, always as lively and colorful. We took advantage of the tastings of small bites of sweets and appetizers kindly offered by the merchants, taking pleasure in discovering new flavors.
We finished our afternoon at Lianhu Park located directly next to our small hotel. What a great discovery! We were charmed by the place. A beautifully landscaped trail goes around the lake. This one is invaded by giant water lilies and surrounded by huge weeping willows. Small round shelters with traditional Chinese roofs invite passers-by to led in. We attended a singing class given by a master musician using his traditional string instrument as an accompaniment. I was at the little birds! A little further on, a small group of Chinese women were doing dance moves, colorful fabric by hand.
Finally, we stopped at the « roll » to observe the skill of the young people wearing roller skates before leaving the park and returning to the hotel.
P.S. We plan to spend four days by boat. So, there will be a delay before you receive any more news. Do not worry!
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
XI’AN – CHONGQING – ZANGZI RIVER
We left our small hotel, thanking our kind host warmly. We walked 1 km with our luggage to the metro station leading us to the north railway station in Xi’an. From there we took a TGV to Chongqing. The five-and-a-half-hour journey passed quickly. The train took several tunnels dug out of the mountains. When we arrived in Chongqing, we were amazed by the size of the city, learning that it is the largest city in the world with 30 million inhabitants and 300,000 newcomers per year! We had never seen so many skyscrapers in the same city. I thought I was coming to a small suburban town to start our cruise!
At the train station, we lined up and took a taxi to the Yangtze River Hostel from where we had planned to buy our Yangtze River cruise, as suggested in our Lonely Planet guide. After 30 minutes of driving, we had a nasty surprise; we did not find the hostel in question (??? ☹) We then asked the taxi driver to take us to our second option: the Harbour Plaza Travel Centre. The driver made us disembark at the central roundabout of the city centre reserved for pedestrians. Parachuted into this unknown place teeming with people, we were quite helpless, if not exasperated. At the same time, we were amazed by the beauty of this important urban centre beautifully landscaped and surrounded by impressive skyscrapers. We searched the Harbour Plaza, swearing after the GPS that seemed to make us go around in circles. We tried several times to get help, but the address written in our alphabet was not understandable to the Chinese. Phew, what a misery! Finally, it was an Englishman who showed us the hotel we were looking for but, unfortunately, the hotel’s travel agency no longer exists! ☹ Feeling the pressure go up a notch, one last option was available to us: go directly to a travel agency and try to book our cruise by ourselves despite the language barrier. Well, we were well served! The three employees found us a room aboard the Century Legend cruise ship: medium-sized tourist boat, cheaper than luxury cruises, with only Chinese on board. Great for us!
Claude bought pork skewers at the race before a driver picked us up from the agency and drove us straight to the loading dock. From the moment we set foot on the boat, the crew took care of us, reserving us special treatment as foreigners. The young Issam, our official translator, takes his role very seriously.
Our large and beautiful room is on the4th floor with patio door, small balcony and river view. We even have the luxury of a private bathroom, with hot water and American toilet bowl, which we didn’t have in Xi’an. The pressure dropped and we quickly felt almost at home! After settling down, we set out to explore the ship (entrance hall with reception, dining room, large living room with stage, training room, outdoor rest area with sun loungers and glass bar on the 6th floor).
The vessel left the wharf at 9 p.m., descending the river for 3 nights and 4 days. (The Yangtze River is the longest in Asia and the3rd longest in the world.) Despite our fatigue, we climbed onto the bridge to admire the extraordinary view of the city of Chongqing with its high skyscrapers, bridges and colorful and illuminated cruise ships. We found Chongqing as impressive as Shanghai.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
We started the day with a good coffee at the glass bar on the6th floor before going down to the dining room on the 2nd floor. Assigned to table 9 in the company of Chinese, we enjoyed having the choice of a continental breakfast. After passing the sunken city of Fuling, we made a first stop in Fengdu, nicknamed the City of Ghosts, 170 km from Chongqing. Submerged in 2009 following an earthquake, this city saw its inhabitants displaced on the other side. We rode to the Ming Shan Temple by cable car and enjoyed the guided tour given by a dynamic and bilingual Chinese woman!
Back on our boat, an excellent buffet dinner was waiting for us. I was treated to a little lesson in holding chopsticks by one of the diners sitting at our table. Sign language has been very helpful! In the late afternoon, the boat made a stop in Shibaozhai for an optional tour of the Stone Treasure Fortress. Built on a huge rocky escarpment, this 12-level wooden pagoda, 56 meters high, was originally built during the reign of Emperor Kangxi (1662) of the Qing Dynasty. Claude and I stayed on board and just took a picture of the top deck of our boat.
For supper, we enjoyed the captain’s excellent welcome banquet. We toasted a few times with the other three couples sitting at our table in a jovial atmosphere. In the evening, the crew presented their show of Chinese dances interspersed with interactive games with the audience. At 9pm, we arrived in Wanzhou where our boat docked for the night. The city lights are beautiful to see in the evening. Once again, we were amazed by the size of the city and its incredible number of skyscrapers.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
After a good night’s sleep, we had lunch while exchanging with our table mates, Google translator in hand. It was nice to break the language barrier in this way. When the internet works well, it’s very nice to use!
In the morning, the boat docked at the ancient city of Fengjie. Claude and I stayed on board during the optional visit to the White King’s Castle, which is too expensive for our travel budget. I took advantage of this time of stop to perform certain tasks on my electronic devices (hotel and bus reservations, etc.).
In the late morning, the boat left the wharf and began crossing the Qutang Gorge, also known as the Kui Gorge. This gorge opens majestically between the vertiginous walls of high jagged cliffs protruding along the river. It is the shortest and narrowest of the Three Gorges with 8 km in length. How beautiful and impressive she is! All the cruise passengers were gathered on the upper deck so as not to miss anything from the show.
After our delicious buffet dinner, we hurried back to the upper deck to enjoy the extraordinary scenery of the second gorge: Wu Gorge or Witches Gorge. Its green slopes are covered with a profusion of shrubs and many of its flanks were shrouded in a veil of mist. It is 40 km long and is flanked by imposing cliffs, topped by sharp peaks and shredded on the north shore.
We docked at the city of Badong to board a smaller boat. We crossed the impressive Shennong River Gorge. This breathtaking and magical gorge leads to a peaceful lake. We were taken off the boat to watch a Chinese dance and singing show in a nicely appointed small concert hall. I was very impressed by the quality of this colorful show and faithful to Chinese culture. I loved it!
We boarded, crossed the Shennong River Gorge and returned to our cruise ship, the Yangtze Legend. The Captain’s Banquet was ready. The center of our table was lined with different dishes that we tasted with appetite in the company of our usual and friendly table companions. We spent a quiet evening in our room, albeit bothered by the false voice of the karaoke singers on the upper floor.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
YANGTZE RIVER CRUISE – YICHANG (29 DEGREES C)
We sailed all night and when we woke up, the boat was docked at Maoping, our final destination. I skipped the last lunch on the boat, my migraine cutting my appetite. We bid farewell to Issam and left the ship with all the other passengers at 7.30am, luggage in hand. With our dedicated bilingual guide, we boarded the shuttle that took us to the Three Gorges hydroelectric dam at Xiling Gorge. This gorge, with its 80 km, is the longest and least impressive of the three gorges. However, the dam is monumental! The visit to the dam was divided into two parts: we climbed to the highest observation point of the site and then went down to the dam. Then we took back the shuttle that took us to the central port of Yichang. It was here that we left all the other cruise passengers, warmly greeting our fellow visitors.
We drove to our hotel by taxi. The driver got it wrong and made us disembark at a five-star hotel. damn! Fortunately, our small hotel was only just around the corner. One of the employees escorted us there, even bringing my suitcase! How kind and helpful these Chinese are!
Our room at the Yichang Xiling Inn would need to be repainted but as it is clean, large and cheap, it does our business well for one night. The area is lively with all its small traders. Our neighbors are sellers of fish, frogs, snakes, crayfish, chickens, snakes, etc.
We had dinner in a small Thai curry restaurant. As the waitress was bilingual, I asked her for information for our train transport scheduled for the next day. She strongly recommended that we change our tickets to a departure from Yichang rather than Zhicheng, a city far from here. Damn again! We picked up a taxi and went to Yichang railway station to change our tickets. Mission accomplished! The employees kindly acceded to our request. We returned to the hotel by taxi, relieved to have solved our transportation problem the next day.
I took a nap while Claude went to stock up on some groceries. When he got back, we went for a walk together in the area. Yichang is a big city (1 million inhabitants). How people are everywhere! We ate on the street. Our beef dish and sautéed vegetables served with a bowl of rice was exquisite and really cheap ($5 for both). We finished the evening relaxing at the park located near our hotel.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
YICHANG- FENGHUANG (via Jishou)
We walked in our neighborhood, making a stop in the park where we took a few steps from bossa nova, surrounded by couples doing social dance to Chinese music. The eyes turned to us and Claude was invited to dance a waltz with a Chinese woman. She was very proud and gracefully followed the figures led by Claude. I looked at them with an amused eye.
We drove to the train station with all our luggage. We took a regular train to Jishou. Sitting on « hard benches », our seven-hour drive seemed long although we were in good company. We were quickly surrounded and beset by questions by a group of Chinese women intrigued by our presence. The translator was very useful to us except for all the times when we lost the signal in a tunnel. The beautiful mountainous and country landscapes followed one another, helping to make our journey very pleasant. The Chinese women generously offered us different foods and insisted on tasting them; we made some interesting discoveries.
At 8:00, our train returned to the station. We immediately found a shuttle to Fenghuang, located 60 km from Jishou. Upon arrival at the old town of Fenghuang, we took a taxi to the small Xiangzishen inn. Crossing the bridge, we immediately had a crush on this charming city made of houses on stilts along the River Tuo. Bridges, roofs and temples were illuminated and reflected in the water, making the place quite magical! Our hostess picked us up from the taxi and followed her to the hostel, taking narrow and long lanes. Hungry, we dropped off our luggage and quickly left to take a bite. Forgetting our fatigue and stimulated by this enchanting place, we explored the surroundings: the Hong Bridge (covered bridge with small shops) and the lively promenade that runs along the river.
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
FENGHUANG (pop: 60,000, temperature: 30 degrees C)
We had lunch at the hostel with three other tourists: a Russian, a German and a Polish woman. We ate our noodle and egg soup (no continental lunch here) while sharing our travel experiences with each other. Finally, we could communicate with people who understand English!
We went to the North Gate and bought a flat ticket (128 yen each), valid for two days, giving access to the nine main sites and allowing for a 30-minute boat ride on the Tuo River in the evening.
We fell in love with this quaint old town, again. It is very pleasant to stroll through its alleys and discover its Chinese architectural treasures. We visited: The North Gate Tower, a historic house with its sublime finely carved wooden furniture, the very interesting Guchen Museum, the former home of Shen Congwen (famous Chinese novelist), the Tianhou Temple, the Temple of the Yang Clan Ancestors, the East Gate Tower and the Hong Bridge. What beautiful things we’ve seen!
We took a break from our room before going out to go to dinner. We explored new corners of the old city, emerging from the tourist routes. On the way back, we bought some fruit and a $15 charger for my cell phone, which will help us in some situations. We took the narrow wooden footbridge across the river, taking advantage of this superb view to admire once again the old town shining with a thousand lights.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
Fenghuang
Under a bright sun and a warm but comfortable temperature, we started our day with a pleasant canoe ride on the Tuo River. Starting at the foot of the North Gate, we sailed to the Wanshou Temple. We were able to admire the high Wanming pagoda on our way. The temple, erected in 1755 by Jianxi arrivals, houses an interesting collection of paintings reflecting the culture of Chinese minorities.
We spent the rest of the day strolling through the alleys of the old city, taking a break from time to rest and taking the time to feel the pulse of the daily life of the Chinese in the neighborhood.
We have been in China for over three weeks and we very much appreciate this jovial and helpful people. They do certain things that seem strange to us or sometimes hit us like farting and burping without embarrassment, spitting, undermining, as well as shoving and « stinging » in the queues. However, people are alive, playful, honest, peaceful and endearing. Their family ties are strong and their traditions well established.
The cities are clean and often well-appointed with green corners and beautiful parks. Many city centres have attractive and even very impressive corners with their buildings with remarkable architecture, their decorations and colorful lights. At all levels, infrastructure is developed and efficient.
There is virtually no poverty, both in the city and in the countryside, which is impressive for a country with such a large population (1.4 billion). As China has developed for 30 years! And people’s standard of living followed.
Pollution remains the major problem facing the country. Unfortunately, there is still a long way to go. Claude and I are witnessing the over-packaging and abuse of single-use plastic; It’s delusional! Not to mention coal, carbon dioxide, pesticides, chemicals, etc.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25
FENGHUANG – GUILIN (pop: 1 million, temperature: 32 degrees C)
Around 9:30 a.m., we took a taxi to the Fenghuang bus station where we picked up our internet tickets. We boarded a bus to Guilin, located in the south in the state of Guangxi. We travelled from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. including two 20-minute stops. The mountainous and steep landscapes followed one another along the way. We have repeatedly crossed long tunnels through the lush green mountains. With wonder, we saw beautiful stair crops, vineyards, sugar loaves, bamboo forests and rice paddies.
As this passage from Le Routard on China says so well: « The landscape of the Guilin region is among the most poetic in China. Many limestone pitons with chiseled forms, invaded by subtropical vegetation, spring from the ground, in the middle of the city, in the countryside and especially along the Li River. A majestic nature that has always inspired Chinese artists and has made the area one of the most visited in the country, with a very strong domestic tourism. »
Guilin is a city with modern infrastructure with a population of almost one million inhabitants. Some high-rise buildings are built directly next to sugar loaves, which unfortunately breaks the natural charm of these.
Arriving at Guilin Bus Station, we took a taxi to the Global Village River View Hostel. The driver landed us on the Zhengyang pedestrian street. We had a hard time finding our hostel. We may have shown the address written in Chinese, but people were not sure where to go. Finally, a young Chinese man escorted us after calling the hostel to find out how to get there.
We had dinner at our accommodation and went for a walk around Lake Shanhu, from where two graceful pagodas emerge. As it was already dark, the pagodas, bridges and clusters of trees were illuminated in yellow, green and red. The site is enchanting! We returned via the Zhengyang pedestrian street where shops, food stalls and night markets attract a crowd of visitors.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
GUILIN – LONGJI TERRASSES (PING’AN Village)
After an excellent omelette (Finally, a continental breakfast!), we took a taxi to the Qintan bus station and then boarded a coach and made a transfer to Heping. We arrived at the fabulous rice terraces of Longji after more than three hours of transport (80 km) in a green countryside. The last kilometers were on a road with vertiginous cliffs. In this beautiful remote valley of Longji, for centuries zhuang peasants have patiently carved the mountains into a cascade of terraces to grow rice. About 1,300 people live here, in a string of hamlets with large traditional wooden houses clinging to the mountainside.
We visited the village of Ping’an, first tasting the bamboo rice (sticky rice cooked in a piece of bamboo, speciality of the place) accompanied by sautéed spinach. We then took the small paths on stairs through the golden rice fields. Wow! What breathtaking landscapes! I had tears in my eyes. I went to the Nine Dragons platform while Claude was waiting for me a little further down. I was swimming and thirsty but happy and serene in front of such wonderful nature. After four hours of trekking, we shared a soup before returning to Guilin by coach with a transfer to Heping and a mototaxi from Guilin station to our hostel. We gave ourselves a little break from Chinese food on the way to PFK. As I found the chicken good! Tired of our long hours on the road, we quickly returned to the hostel to relax.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
GUILIN – YANGDI – NINE HORSES HILL – XINGPING – YANGSHUO – GUILIN (32 DEGREES C)
We had lunch at the hostel with our groceries before going on a day trip (200 yuan per person or $38 CAD). At 10:00, a shuttle picked us up. We were six tourists on board: two girls from Singapore, a couple from German Switzerland, Claude and me. We quickly joined the bus already filled with tourists from all over the world. Our bilingual guide explained the day’s schedule to a dizzying flow. At noon we arrived in Yangdi, where bamboo rafts started (in fact, they were originally made of bamboo and pushed with a pole but, they are now made of PVC and powered with a speedboat engine!). We bought ourselves a lunch before boarding a raft with the two Singaporean women. The landscapes of the sugar buns along the Li River were simply amazing to see! New favorite for this enchanting site! We sailed for an hour, amazed and pale at this grandiose nature.
Arriving at Nine Horses Hill, we drove off in an electric cart to Xingping where we were made to disembark to see the famous sugar loaves on the 20 Yuan note. Under a blazing sun and a temperature of 32 degrees, we walked to the meeting point to take the bus, accompanied by four French women studying in China and the two young women from Singapore. The 40-minute journey from Xinping to Yangshuo took place on a beautiful country road where sugar loaves are part of the landscape.
We had two nice free hours in Yangtze city. We strolled along the shore, taking a few breaks in the shade to take the time to observe the scenery, cruise ships and small moving rafts. Before taking the bus back to Guilin, we did some commissions, and I took the time to eat an egg and seaweed soup in a restaurant overlooking the bridge and sugar loaves. The bowl of soup I was brought was so big that it looked like a dish. Obviously, I wasn’t able to eat everything.
During the one-and-a-half-hour journey from Yangshuo to Guilin, I drowsy, regaining some strength. We landed at Main Square with a very friendly Malaysian with whom we had spent some time together in Yangshuo.
My day of celebration was filled with wonderful moments. Our cruise today on the Li River is certainly a highlight of our trip to China. On the way back to the hostel, party vows were bursting on Facebook but unfortunately, I couldn’t see them. As Google, Facebook and Messenger are blocked in China, I will have to wait to be returned to Hong Kong, an independent state, to read my messages. (My VPN hasn’t worked for a week. The Chinese authorities have tightened their control of the internet on the eve of the 70th anniversary celebrations of the Chinese Republic. Many Chinese will be on leave for a week starting October 1st, the day of their national holiday.)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
GUILIN – HONG KONG (Pop: 7 million inhabitants, Temperature: 34 degrees)
Before leaving the town of Guilin, we went for a walk on the boardwalk along the Li River. We met several groups of people doing line dance or social dance. Several figures look like the one we know but, they are performed on Chinese music, which is quite exotic! We also visited the Xiaoyao Tower of the last Song Dynasty. On the top floor, the view of the river, the bridge and the park are interesting.
At about 10:30 a.m., we took a taxi to the railway station, located to the west of the city, 40 minutes from our hostel. We boarded a TGV to Hong Kong, our last destination in China.
See the following in the HONG KONG tab.
Récits de voyages autour du monde 
Commentaires récents